The Hard Way ~ Review

Ali here ~

Title: The Hard Way
Series: N/A
Author: Katie Ashley
Release Date: Aug 29, 2016
Genres: NA Sports Romance
Blurb:Cade Hall has always been the golden boy of the gridiron. Because of his talent at football, coupled with his father’s wealth, he’s always gotten his way. But when a night of drunken debauchery lands him in hot water with the college athletic board, neither his influential father nor his charming grin can save him. He finds it a total buzz kill when he is sentenced to community service with troubled youth at an inner-city shelter. But his nightmare is only beginning when his greatest high school regret is the very one in charge of the program, and she has him by the balls in more ways than one.

For Avery Prescott, senior year was a nightmare of epic proportions, and Cade Hall played the lead villain. After she fled her small town for college in the bright lights of Atlanta, she thought she had escaped the painful memories of her past. She never could have imagined Cade would waltz through the door of the outreach program she presided over. But Avery has news for Cade–she isn’t the same shy, doormat of a girl she was in high school. Since she holds Cade’s football future in her hands, she’s more than ready to make payback a real bitch.

Will the two stay in the defensive zone or discover that sometimes life’s greatest lessons are learned the hard way?

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*****What I Loved About This Book*****

• Comical prologue!
• I love the Cade is smart and that despite his being really good at football, his education means a lot to him.
• Cade has one of those cute cocky attitudes. He’s arrogant, but it’s endearing.
• It made me laugh!
• Second chance romance!
• A few heartbreaking moments that’ll really get to you! And one scary violent scene! And one completely heart wrenching moment!
• I’m glad Avery didn’t make things too easy for Cade. She made him work for it.
• I like Avery’s relationship with her mom.
• I was left wanting Jonathan’s story!

***What I Didn’t Like***

• Cade’s transformation happens a bit quickly. I think a slower transition would have been more realistic. But Cade’s behavior in the beginning didn’t reflect his intelligence level either.
• I didn’t like that Avery never discussed with Cade what happened to her after he dumped her. And speaking of his dumping her. I understood why he did, but the how was just horrible and didn’t make sense.
• I feel like I would have enjoyed the book better if the past was shared in smaller snippets with more time spent in the present tense.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t my favorite Katie Ashley novel, but it was still worth the read. I do have to say, though, that I think if this book was stretched out longer and more time was spent on the present tense, this book would have went from good to amazing. 4 Stars!

Have you read The Hard Way or any of Katie Ashley’s other books? What did you think? Have a recommendation for me?

Happy Reading,

Ali